The Baier and Ohlendorf brewing establishment is the oldest in the city. It was established sixty-one years ago, in 1849, as a supply depot for malt liquors by Calvin McGee, and had a capacity of about two hundred barrels per annum. Mr. McGee did not find the business either pleasant or profitable according to the tradition, and sold it a year later to a Mr. Wade, who ran it until 1852. In that year the brewery buildings were rebuilt and sold to E. Hetrich, who carried on a prosperous business until his death, which occurred about twelve years later. His widow married William Beck, who took charge of the business, made some valuable improvements, and conducted the business until his death four years later. Mrs. Beck attempted to act as proprietor for a short time, but did not succeed in the undertaking very well, and sold out to Baier and Seyfarth in 1869.

These gentlemen took charge of the Beck Brewery, and continued the manufacture of beers for a while with the amount of machinery possessed by the old brewery. Then they laid foundations for one of the finest plants in the country, and soon completed the building which is still standing on the corner of Adams and Jackson streets.

In 1891, Mr. Ohlendorf succeeded Mr. Seyfarth, deceased, and the business has since been conducted under the firm name of Baier and Ohlendorf. The concern takes great pride in the quality of its product, and spares no effort to make it perfect. The main brand of beer manufactured at the Freeport Brewery is "Pilsener," which is put up both in kegs and in bottles. The capacity of the plant is about thirty thousand barrels of the liquid substance annually.

Submitted by Ida Maack Recu
(Source: Fulwider, A.M., Addison L. History of Stephenson County, Illinois. Chicago: The S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1910.)